


Newly Born Again

by Eos_Red



Category: Naruto
Genre: Family, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-01
Updated: 2016-12-01
Packaged: 2018-08-28 07:56:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,990
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8437570
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eos_Red/pseuds/Eos_Red
Summary: Having watched the whole truth from his brother's view, Sasuke found life had lost its meaning for him. Without his beloved big brother, he did not want to continue anymore. Thus, he decided to join Itachi, who had already departed from his Edo-Tensei body, in death. But what if something interfered? Was this a second chance? / Time-travel, Sasuke-centric





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Same as "Warmth", this fanfic is first posted on fanfiction.net, otherwise please enjoy!

**Disclaimer: I neither own Naruto nor Naruto Shippuden!**

narrative – normal

"Sasuke speaking" - normal in quotation marks

 _Sasuke thinking_ – italics

" _Hagoromo speaking"_ \- italics in quotation marks

* * *

_I've made up my mind, Nii-san._

Yes, Sasuke had made up his mind. The entirety of their battle against Kabuto had made it very clear to him.

Itachi might have thought he wasn't perfect, but to Sasuke, his Nii-san had always been just that. If someone deserved to live a good life, it should be Itachi.

Here Sasuke was, all alone and left with such profound regret that was born from his love. Sasuke wondered if his love was cursed. It had brought so much tragedy.

His feelings had blinded him. He had immediately jumped into the darkness of his hate. How shallow of him, how fast had he abandoned his love for Itachi, just to be able to escape the deep hurt he had felt because of it. Then, hate had driven him to sever his ties to Konoha, the village which Itachi still had held in high regards. Hate came between him and his best friend Naruto. Causing so much grief for his only true friend, who still chased someone so undeserving as Sasuke with his perseverance, all these years.

His hate had killed Itachi. And now, hate whispered revenge into his ear. Revenge for Itachi. He wanted to burn Konoha to the ground for what it had done to his brother. But that conflicted with Itachi's ideals. Itachi had clearly stated that he was still loyal to the Leaf. Why that was so still remained incomprehensible to Sasuke.

Sasuke was tired. He was just so very tired. He wished his brother was still here, beside him.

During the battle, everything had seemed so nostalgic. Easily bringing all the buried feelings of his childhood to the forefront of his mind again. Admiration, awe, love, child-like wonder, safety and pride in his brother. Had it not been in the middle of battle, Sasuke would have relished in all these feelings. Forgotten were the negative emotions, if only for a short while.

He already dearly missed that light-hearted feeling again.

He even missed the admonishing by his brother more than almost anything else about him. It had been a central part of his relationship with his brother, who had seemingly known just about everything. It made Itachi, his Nii-san, truly Itachi. Only now did Sasuke see that his Nii-san had always been the guiding light of his life. It had merely changed from the orange-red flames of a standard Uchiha fire-jutsu to the ominously burning dark flames of Amaterasu since the night of the "Uchiha massacre". In the end, under all the hurt and betrayal, Sasuke was still the small child that wanted – demanded – his big brother's attention. Outwardly, he had maintained a stoic facade, but in the inside he had desperately wanted time, vainly wishing for more time with his Nii-san.

Why did he think about all these things now?!

It was too late. _Everything_ was too late. Sasuke hadn't had the chance to tell Itachi. Hadn't had the chance to make use of the knowledge that Itachi had shared with him. What was the point? It only made his heart shatter into more tiny pieces. What use were the new-found closeness and understanding to Sasuke when he was left with a severed bond, severed by death and irrevocably gone?

But he would see Itachi again. His Nii-san said he would always love Sasuke, no matter how he would decide. So taking this surprising path should be forgivable, too, shouldn't it?

Something wet slid down Sasuke's cheek. It was a single teardrop.

Surprised, he lightly touched the track it had left on one of his cheeks. He did not feel like crying, in fact, it was completely the opposite. He felt as if a heavy burden had been lifted from his shoulders, because he would be reunited with his brother again very soon. So why would he…?

A sudden strong pulse went through his entire body, making him bend forward slightly.

_What is this feeling? What is happening?_

In the next moment, Sasuke knew no more.

* * *

When he awoke again, he found himself lying on his back.

Sitting up, he looked around. The ground was covered with water, the lighting was a dark and murky indigo. He did not know where this was, but it faintly reminded him of the sewer that was Naruto's mindscape. From the corner of his eyes, he thought he had seen a shadow of a figure. So turning around, he was surprised yet again to see someone's back turned to him. The strange looking old man – as he could see now, after the old man had turned towards him – regarded him with ringed violet eyes. He recognized them as Rinnegan.

Just as Sasuke was about to ask questions, the old man stated in a nearly unintelligible old-fashioned diction (of speech). " _This is certainly an unexpected turn of events._ "

Sasuke narrowed his eyes and asked. "Where am I and who are you?"

" _I hear that there is yet again a change in language. Some generations since the last of_ Indra's _must have passed._ " The old man mused to himself. After a pause, he continued in a different pattern of speech, one that Sasuke had no difficulty in understanding. " _My name is Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo, though it might not tell you much. Otherwise I am known as the Sage of Six Paths._ "

"The legendary Sage who created Ninjutsu?" Sasuke asked, incredulity laced his tone.

" _NO! I did not create Ninjutsu. I taught Ninshū._ " The old man – now revealed as Hagoromo – briefly explained the history behind chakra, his mother's misdoings, his own role and life afterwards.

After that, Sasuke had to ask. "You haven't answered my first question: where is this? How are you here and what does it have to do with me?"

" _This is your mindscape. Currently, you are unconscious. It has everything to do with you, because you are the current reincarnation of Indra._ " Hagoromo answered.

"Your elder son?" Sasuke clarified, for good measure.

" _Yes. Both of my son's chakra did not rest after their bodies had long since perished. They entered a transmigration circle, their chakra attaching themselves to their reincarnations"_ , Hagoromo explained. _"You do not look very surprised. Perhaps you have felt Indra inside yourself already, even before today. But it does not matter for now. Something has occurred, something that did not happen to the previous reincarnation. That is why I have appeared before you._ "

The raven-haired boy only looked inquiringly at the Sage.

" _Have you not felt Indra, just before you fell unconscious?"_ The Sage did not wait for Sasuke to answer. _"That was Indra. What I had given up to hope, what Uchiha Madara did not achieve: You have moved Indra._ "

"What do you mean?" Sasuke asked. Hagoromo sighed in response and suddenly looked a lot older than he had from the beginning.

" _I have already told you what my past decision had done to my elder son. The older he became, the colder and distant he grew. I was ignorant. Had I interfered, this might not have happened. Since then, Indra had been filled with hate._ " Here, Hagoromo gave Sasuke a tentative smile. " _I do not know what had transpired. I am not all-knowing after all. But something of you must have reached Indra's very heart. I can feel how strongly he is attached to you. I have a feeling that part of the reason is your strong bond with your older brother. But I cannot be sure, since Madara had felt similarly for his younger brother as well._ "

Sasuke seemed to struggle with himself for a while, unsure about what he wanted to say. Just before falling unconscious, he had seen a flash. More accurately, it had been an image of two little boys laughing together. Had that been Indra and his little brother Ashura? In the end, Sasuke did not tell of his brief experience. It simply could have been a hallucination. "I see. But all this doesn't change my decision. You won't stop me."

The ancient Sage shook his head. " _No, I am not here to stop you. In fact, I would like to offer you an alternative._ "

"An alternative?" Sasuke asked again.

" _Yes. With Indra's cooperation, this might just be possible. How do you feel about reliving your life, but with the memories the present you has gathered so far?_ " The Sage inquired.

Sasuke's eyes widened. What was the Sage saying? That Sasuke was able to change his own past? He would be able to be there for Itachi, Sasuke mulled in his thoughts, he could prevent Itachi from his pain or at the very least, be there for his Nii-san, because Sasuke knew he would never fall for his Nii-san's lies again. He wouldn't be driven away again.

Sasuke had nothing to lose, he had already established that. Either way, in this offered second life or in death, Itachi would be there. For Itachi's happiness, he would choose to live. It would also have been what Itachi wanted for him, only it was probably a very different idea of living than what Itachi had envisioned. But that was okay with Sasuke. Looking into the Sage's eyes, Sasuke told him what he had decided on.

" _Very well. I will try to explain the proceedings. You are familiar with Izanagi and Izanami, no? Both are techniques revolving around Fate and Destiny through the Visual Prowess of the Mangekyō Sharingan. Similarly, with my Rinnegan, I will sent you on such an alternative path from here that turns back, meeting a certain point in the past, thus creating a circle."_ The Sage created images across the water to support his explanation. _"From there, it is up to you where your life's path will go. Your decisions and actions in the past will erase this reality's path. A rewritten reality, in which the you with all your memories lives, will take its place. The most crucial point in this is Indra's blessing."_

"Why?" Sasuke curiously asked.

" _Because this technique would have a risk otherwise. I could sent you thousand years into the past instead or only a few days from now. Indra will act as your anchor. His chakra is compatible with mine, being the one half of it, and he is attached to you – chakra and will – as you are his reincarnation. I will send you to the past, but it will be Indra's chakra guiding you to the entering point – your birth, the exact moment in which Indra's chakra solidly became a part of yours."_ The Sage elaborated for Sasuke, who nodded at that.

" _Before you go,"_ Hagoromo suddenly added, _"I have to ask you: Your desire is to save your brother, no?"_

Sasuke simply nodded again.

" _Would you abandon everything else for it?"_ The Sage asked. At that, Sasuke tilted his head in a silent gesture for the Sage to further clarify himself. _"I have passed away already, but I am still a father. Would you be willing to look out for the reincarnation of my younger son, Ashura? Do you know who it is?"_

The raven-haired boy did not need to hesitate in his answer, he knew it as he knew the sun was bright. "Naruto." It was confirmed by the Sage, who nodded approvingly. "My only priority is Itachi." Sasuke admitted. "... But if it doesn't interfere with my priority, I don't mind."

He was rewarded by a grateful smile from Hagoromo. Thereafter, Sasuke only heard the final parting words of the Sage...

" _I will bestow you with half of my chakra, Indra's reincarnation, you will need it in your endeavor to protect your brother. Until the right time arrives, it will lie dormant within you. Farewell, my son."_

 _..._ before he knew no more, for the second time that day.

* * *

**A/N:**

**I couldn't resist.**

**It's just so sad when Itachi died, got resurrected by Edo Tensei, and then he had to 'die' again in front of Sasuke.**

**Itachi's parting words killed me (twice). T^T**


	2. Chapter 2

**The Point of View might change, so I’ll provide a guide at the beginning of each chapter (if needed):**

 

_Sasuke’s POV –_ italics

 

‘ _Sasuke thinking_ _’_ – italics in single quotation marks

 

Itachi’s POV – normal

 

‘Itachi thinking’ – normal in single quotation marks

 

* * *

 

_Sasuke couldn’t pinpoint the exact time he regained consciousness. He tried to open his eyes for naught. Everything hurt. He also had a horrible headache from a very loud sound, a high pitched screeching coming from seemingly everywhere. Then, the comforting oblivion of unconsciousness took him under its wings._

 

´´(O^Q)``

 

_Wonderful silence greeted him. Well, it was almost completely silent save for the buzzing in the background. But it was so quiet that Sasuke wasn’t bothered by it. No, it was even kind of soothing and made him sleepy. Lulling him gently back to sleep, he didn’t even had the chance to think about his situation before he fell asleep again._

 

´´(O^Q)``

 

_It was so peaceful. Where was he? What was he doing? Or was he not doing anything? The concept hours, minutes and seconds ticking away felt redundant and foreign to Sasuke. He simply felt so lazy. At some point, he became aware of his immediate surroundings, yet he still couldn’t open his eyes. ‘Soft’ was his first impression. It wasn’t constricting, but he couldn’t move either. Not that he had the energy for moving around to begin with. With a mental sigh, Sasuke gave up on it, for now at least. Nothing of his surrounding ever changed (especially when he couldn’t open his eyes) and soon, he became bored._

 

´´(O^Q)``

 

_Last he had been conscious, he must have fallen asleep from the sheer boredom he had felt. This time around, he felt a lot more energetic, although still not much compared to his usual strength. It was hard to think a lot, but at some corner of his mind, he must have still known what was going on or Sasuke would have panicked by now. This at least, he knew with certainty._

 

_Suddenly something grabbed him at his middle and lifted him up. A sinking feeling made itself known in his stomach, but he bit down his initial reaction to shout. Sasuke tried to open his eyes, feeling the familiar touch of slowly getting desperate. With painstaking effort, his eyelids finally moved._

 

_His eyes met blinding white light and some large shadow, but as much as Sasuke tried to focus, everything stayed blurry. He thought he heard some noise from the shadow who was holding him, but he couldn’t be sure with how unreliable his senses were right now. By now, Sasuke got used to the steady rhythm of being bobbed up and down. Although it still irked him that he couldn’t do anything do stop it. He was utterly useless and under the mercy of this shadow._

 

´´(O^Q)``

 

* * *

Five years-old Itachi hurried along the path leading to Konoha’s hospital building. He was brimming with excitement. Today he was finally allowed to see his baby brother!

 

The whole day, he had difficulty following the Academy teacher, not that he found the lessons hard to understand, but because he had been impatiently staring at the clock, willing the hand to make its rounds faster. Unsuccessfully of course.

 

It was a bit childish of him, but during class he had imagined what it would have been like if only he possessed the Sharingan right then. He could have put a fail-safe Genjutsu over his whole class and skip today without repercussions.

 

His mother didn’t have to know he skipped, he would have told the little white lie that the teacher was sick today. His father wouldn’t arrive at the hospital before Itachi, since Father had to finish his police work first. It wasn’t as if Itachi didn’t already know what the class was currently learning, so even if his father knew of his escapade, Itachi was relatively sure Father wouldn’t be angry. And most important of all, he would have been able to see his baby brother earlier.

 

His little brother had already been born a few days ago, but he was kept in a special room like other newborn babies for observation. It was a precaution measure for any possible complications that might have arisen. The first two days were the most critical for  new born babies, because their immune system would still be considered weak compared to an adult’s.

 

Mother, too, had been kept in the hospital, because giving birth had weakened her. Itachi knew it was useless to worry, he couldn’t have done anything even if something happened. Besides, he trusted the Iryō-nin (medical-Nins) to do their job.

 

I tachi quickened his steps when he saw the hospital building. He briskly – but politely – greeted the civilian nurse at the reception desk before he made his way to his  m other’s  patient’s room.  He stopped just before the grey-bluish door with the plate number ‘257’.

 

With each second, his anticipation grew. Itachi didn’t know for what exactly, but he felt like he wanted to mentally prepare himself before going in. He was sure that Father already sensed him on the other side of the door, but he still knocked quietly. Turning the handle, he  stepped in.

 

Itachi involuntarily  took a sharp breath . There, in Mother’s arms was his baby brother. He stepped forward  at  her beckoning and slowly  breathed out again. Father stood at the end of Mother’s bed and smiled proudly. But Itachi paid it no mind, his entire focus was on his little brother. He was clothed in blue and already had grown some dark hair. Peering curiously at the baby’s face, Itachi  couldn’t help noting how small his brother was. All chubby and cute. Itachi looked from his smiling  m other back to the baby again. 

 

‘This… this is a new life.’

 

H e was distracted from his wondrousness when Father picked up his baby brother from Mother’s arms.  He gazed into  i ts eyes and exclaimed that his baby brother’s name would be Sasuke –  Uchiha Sasuke . Itachi only listened to his parents conversation about Sasuke’s namesake with one ear.

 

His attention was more likely on his brother’s face. The moment Sasuke had been named, his little brother’s face had crinkled funnily. Not long after that, Sasuke had begun uttering tiny sounds. Itachi couldn’t tell if it was distress or if it was simply the mindless babble he heard babies liked to make.

 

´´(O^Q)``

 

* * *

_Sasuke just_ knew _, the moment his name was uttered by a male voice –_ his  _voice._

_He had plenty of time to ponder his situation. Rather than fruitlessly trying to make his senses work again, he had forced himself to work against this foggy daze he was in. He was relieved when that feeling had diminished. He had already figured out that he was a baby again. He might not have seen himself yet, but the fact he could feel Indra attached to him should mean that everything went according to plan._

_He hadn’t landed himself in some stranger’s body. The mere thought of just possibly having to live his life as someone else brought on a violent shudder, which likely made the person holding him worry, because the bobbing movement had stopped for few moments before it resumed._

_He heard a knocking and a door opening. So they had arrived at their destination. After some words were exchanged, Sasuke was handed over into someone’s arms. His sight remained blurry, but thanks to the large windows – at least they were very large to Sasuke – he was able to see beyond mere shadows. The person holding him now had long dark hair. So a female. This fact was further bolstered up by the clear feminine cooing sounds being made to him._

_Fortunately (or unfortunately, however one might see it), Sasuke’s control of his muscles was almost non-existent. Meaning, he couldn’t use his usual dark scowl to make her stop the silly cooing and simultaneously making himself very suspicious, as no ordinary baby would be able to take on such a fierce expression._

_Sasuke fought against falling asleep_ again _. He was sick of sleeping so much, even if it meant he could avoid some uncomfortable (embarrassing) situations in the future (like wetting himself). What was meant to be a tired sigh came across as a soft exhalation._

_This was ridiculous, being reduced from an S-rank ninja during the Fourth Shinobi War to a weak and soft baby in someone’s arms. A very cuddly and warm embrace... ‘Did I really just think that? Am I going crazy or is this a side-effect of being a baby again?’ Sasuke dearly hoped it was the latter. If it was, he definitely had to try and do something about it in the future._

_During his pondering, two other persons had entered the room. Sasuke only took notice of it when a face was directly in front of his own. Thankfully, the face put some distance in between them after a moment or two. His relieve was somewhat short lived when another person picked him up again. Now, Sasuke was really annoyed. ‘Do I really have to let this sit on me?’_

_Before Sasuke could decide on any action, he froze. That voice carried on, oblivious of Sasuke’s reaction to it. That voice had said his name. It was familiar and then it struck Sasuke just a moment later. This was Father’s voice! The man who put so much pressure on his beloved Nii-san, who planned to stage a coup against the village and forced Itachi’s hand to act in that dreadful night. Sasuke felt angry. So very angry that this kind of man was currently holding him. ‘_ No _, I don’t want him to touch me. Let me go!’_

_Sasuke tried to move, but in his father’s tight hold, he couldn’t even squirm. Next, he tried to voice his protest. All that came out of his mouth were some gibberish sounds. He “spoke” louder. ‘Why is no one paying me any attention?’_

_Sasuke unwillingly teared up. It wasn’t his intention, but his baby body automatically translated his increasing frustrations into tears._

´´(O^Q)``

* * *

Itachi grew slightly alarmed when he saw Sasuke breaking into tears. He crossed the distance between him and his father in no time at all, tucking at his shirt and motioning for Father to level himself to Itachi’s height. Not wasting a second, Itachi bend over Sasuke as soon Father (and consequently Sasuke) was low enough. This caught his baby brother’s attention, because Sasuke looked up to Itachi, the tears still threatening to fall at a moment’s notice.

 

Itachi did the first thing that came to his mind. In the lowest voice he could muster, he soothingly and softly repeated “It’s alright” over and over again. It seemed to work, because Sasuke paused for a moment. Until his sniffling became a full fledged crying. Sasuke’s crying made Itachi panic (although a strongly subdued version, because he was mature beyond his age) and the sounds made by his baby brother tugged terribly at his heartstrings, to the point that Itachi felt it as if it physically hurt him.

 

While Itachi had been shocked into temporary immobility, the baby’s crying spurred the parents into action. Father brought Sasuke to Mother, who cradled Sasuke in her arms and rocked him gently to and fro, incessantly trying to comfort him with soothing noises. It was all in vain.

 

Sasuke even increased the volume, now outright bawling. At some point, he even freed his short little arms from the confines of the blanket, into which he was currently wrapped. Mother tried to hold Sasuke’s tiny hands, but he made it obvious that he didn’t want their mother do that. Father awkwardly hovered about at one corner of Mother’s bed.

 

Itachi cautiously approached the mother-son duo. He felt hesitant because of his earlier experience, he had thought it was the appropriate action to take, but he had been proven wrong. He honestly didn’t want to make it worse. Though it couldn’t be made any worse than it was now, Itachi added in his own mind. Now it was Itachi’s turn to awkwardly stand before the bed.

 

Then, something odd happened. When Sasuke turned his head in Itachi’s direction, which made Itachi tense slightly, afraid of his baby brother’s reaction, Sasuke quietened down a notch. Seeing this, Mother motioned her first son to come closer. Encouraged further by Sasuke’s stretched out hands towards him, Mother readjusting her hold so Sasuke won’t fall, Itachi stepped forward.

 

He looked into Sasuke’s eyes and tentatively put his right index finger in front of Sasuke’s face. In contrast to his previous reaction, Sasuke immediately took hold of the finger and clutched it tightly. The hands around his finger were so small that one of them completely encircled his single finger. Itachi smiled brightly, not paying any attention to his parents’ reaction, because this clearly meant his baby brother didn’t hate him! At least not anymore, if Sasuke ever did. Itachi felt a bit silly now, but mostly just incredibly relieved.

 

´´(O^Q)``

* * *

_Sasuke hadn’t wanted to drive Itachi away!_

_He had just felt so alleviated when he recognized his very young Nii-san’s voice. Unfortunately, this had created a domino-effect: his body hadn’t been able to regulate (hide) his intense feelings, in other words, he ended up crying. Which in turn resulted in his change of location, inadvertently placing him farther away from Nii-san. And_ that _particular notion made Sasuke remember the desperation and sadness he had felt when Itachi…_

_Sasuke couldn’t stand the thought of being moved away from his Nii-san only after a measly half a minute of being truly physically close again! Worse, he was unable to hear Nii-san’s voice anymore. Sasuke was aware of being in his mother’s arms again – who was presently very much alive as well – but he didn’t want Mother, he desperately wanted to reassure himself that Nii-san was still alive. It didn’t matter that he had just seen and heard Nii-san just seconds ago, because his senses were inaccurate at best. ‘What if it wasn’t Itachi-nii?’_

_Sasuke stopped his depressing thoughts right there. He didn’t want to know how he would react if…_

_Luckily, it was in that instant Sasuke caught the figure that must be his Nii-san. So he reached out in that direction, straining his whole body in the process, towards Nii-san’s form. Sasuke felt Mother readjust her grasp on him, which he ignored for the time being, as Itachi was right in front of him now._

_His sight left something to be desired yet, because he still saw blearily, but there was clearly_ something _, which told Sasuke it definitely was his Nii-san. So when a finger was offered, Sasuke instantaneously grasped it with both hands, ceasing the noises he had made in order to urge Nii-san to hurry up his advancing towards him. ‘I won’t let go of Nii-san’s finger any time soon’, Sasuke thought adamantly, ‘maybe I can make them to have Nii-san carry me around then.’_

´´(O^Q)``

* * *

**A/N:**

**Before anything, I just wanted to thank my beta-reader, which I forgot to do in the past.**

**Hey, guys (and gals)! Sooooo~ How was it?**

_This chapter features baby Sasuke, so he couldn’t do much yet._

_First time for me that I worked with change of POVs, but I really wanted to have some of Itachi’s thoughts in here, too. I love him to pieces, wish there were more episodes with him._

_Anyone also seen the funny OVA where Itachi used his Mangekyō Sharingan to cook a perfect pair of eggs sunny side up for Sasuke, wearing an apron? It was hilarious, but still something so fundamentally Itachi :D_


	3. Chapter 3

_ Sasuke's POV –  _ ** italics **

'thinking'  _ – _ in single quotation marks

general (partially Itachi's) POV – normal

* * *

_ Nights were Sasuke's time. Or more precisely, nights had become his favorite time by circumstance. He didn't know if the myth about babies always waking up at night was true. In his case, this ironically was for real. _

_ After being discharged from the hospital with Mother just the day after his second "first" meeting with his family, the following days passed in quite the similar manner – a routine had been quickly established. _

´´(O^Q)``

* * *

´´(Itachi)``

To Mother's luck, who was still recovering, Sasuke was a quiet baby and did not cause much hassle for her. He hadn't even cried again after their first "family meeting" in Mother's patient's room.

Most of the day, Sasuke would sleep. At least, that is what Mother told Itachi who had to go to the Academy, incidentally cutting his time watching his baby brother short. In the privacy of his own mind, he admitted to pouting about it the first few days Sasuke had begun to live at their home.

Itachi wondered if he, too, had been sleeping this much at Sasuke's age.

On the first morning of having Mother and Sasuke home at last, before everything else, he had run – silently of course – into Sasuke's nursery room.

In actuality, this room was like any other room in the Uchiha household with its tatami flooring and shōji paper sliding door. The only difference lay in its decoration: the cradle in the middle of the room, the trinkets hanging from the ceiling, the toys and plushies piled up in one corner, still waiting to be played with.

This way, it would be easier to change things to accommodate Sasuke's age without having to move him to another room. It may seem quite empty now and the walls where quite bland, but the space would be filled with furniture and other things soon.

Itachi crept up to the cradle with a smile. Standing on his toes, he held himself up by a bar of the cradle and extended his other arm through a gap. Gently, he drew small imaginary circles on his baby brother's forehead. Sasuke just slept through it, with his mouth slightly open and a constant rosy tint on his cheeks. He looked very content and peaceful.

Hearing a slight rustle from next door, Itachi hurried back into his room. Sasuke's bedroom lay just in between his own and that of their parents.

Itachi quickly changed himself into the standard Uchiha outfit and went through his morning routine. After the breakfast Mother had prepared (he had missed her cooking), he made his way to the Academy.

´´(O^Q)``

* * *

_ Sasuke was bored and annoyed with himself. Before that, he had been feeling embarrassed. 'Who wouldn't freak out when they had to be breast fed by their mother at the (mental) age of a teenager?' _

_ And now, he was alone. His body was still too weak for any movement and he wasn't reckless enough to risk injury. He knew he had fallen asleep after being fed or Mother wouldn't have just left him alone like this. _

_ Judging by the daylight through his window and the faint noises, Sasuke would say it was noon, so Nii-san was currently sitting in the Academy. _

_ Remembering the previous day, he sulked. His plan to not let go of Nii-san's finger had failed. After a few tucking attempts, Nii-san's finger easily slipped out of his feeble hands, which weren't able to maintain tensed. With his non-existent muscles and stamina, his plan would remain a dream for now. _

_ Adding to that, he hadn't been able to see Nii-san today, because Sasuke had completely slept through the morning. It wasn't until Mother woke him up for... He was still too embarrassed to even think about that again. _

_ What was he to do, now that he was awake? He could do nothing. _

´´(O^Q)``

* * *

When Itachi and his classmates were dismissed for the day, he was surprised to see his older cousin Shisui waiting for him at the gates. Noticing Itachi staring at him with his usual blank expression, Shisui gave a short wave with his hand. Itachi did not bother with questioning his cousin. Shisui was the talkative type, sooner or later he would mention his reason of accompanying Itachi home today.

Together, they headed towards the Uchiha compound. Shisui noted that Itachi walked faster than usual. But he could easily keep up the speed of course, he wasn't known as "Shunshin no Shisui" for nothing. Normally, Itachi didn't mind spending some time with him, but Shisui already had an inkling as to why his usually composed and unfazed cousin was in a hurry today.

Itachi was a good kid, though he wasn't very apt with handling his own emotions. Shisui felt justified in his urge to watch over his younger cousin from time to time, no matter how exceptional Itachi might otherwise be.

"So, what's the hurry? I thought you liked my company?", Shisui dramatically put a hand to his chest, goading Itachi with a mock-hurt on his face.

Naturally, Itachi ignored his cousin. Sometimes, Shisui just liked to tease him. The best way, he found out, was to ignore his older cousin's antics until he dropped them more or less.

Otherwise, Itachi liked Shisui and respected him like no one else. Shisui may worry unnecessarily about him, but Itachi couldn't deny that Shisui had a knack of figuring out what he felt and thought when even he himself didn't know yet. Shisui was one person he had never won against in a spar. And aside from some harmless teasing, he never boasted about it or held the victories above Itachi's head, who everyone considered was a "genius".

"Okay, okay, I give. Really though, why are you in a hurry?", Shisui asked.

Itachi turned his head to the side, so his cousin wouldn't see his embarrassed expression. He answered quietly, "Mother and Sasuke are home."

Shisui visibly brightened up. "Oh, I see. 'Sasuke', eh? So that's your new little brother's name?"

Itachi nodded once before looking back to the front. It went without question that the older boy would want to see Sasuke now, although Itachi had a feeling that Shisui already knew about it beforehand.

´´(O^Q)``

* * *

Both Uchihas entered Itachi's home and exclaimed in unison of their entering. Itachi's mother Mikoto greeted them from the kitchen. She did not bat an eyelash at the extra person intruding their home, since Shisui's visiting was a frequent occurrence and he often also staying for a meal.

After Shisui paid his respects to Itachi's mother face-to-face, he went to find Itachi who had already gone ahead to see Sasuke. To Itachi's slight disappointment, he found Sasuke was asleep yet again. Though it did not dampen Shisui's mood who cheerfully commented on the baby's adorableness and Itachi's budding brother-complex. He was pretty sure if Itachi was allowed to have his ways, then Sasuke would be spoilt rotten with his big brother's constant attention in the future.

After everyone had eaten, Mikoto carried her second son to the living room. Sasuke had his eyes open, but it was plain to see that he was in a state of grogginess. When both boys crowded around her, she chuckled and asked if they wanted to hold Sasuke for a while, to which both eagerly nodded. It was funny for Mikoto and Shisui how Itachi failed spectacularly at hiding his eagerness, though no one pointed that out to the five-year old. She instructed both to sit on the couch and guided them with her hands on how to hold the baby, having them pay special attention towards the correct support of the head.

By now, Sasuke was completely awake and watching.

Mikoto retreated to the kitchen to wash the dishes and put the spare portion into the fridge. Her husband would be late again doing police work.

When Sasuke returned his gaze back from the retreating back of his mother, Shisui smiled warmly at him.

´´(O^Q)``

_ Uchiha Shisui. Nii-san's best friend who committed suicide. In actuality, he had been forced into that corner, so one could say he was indirectly killed by Danzo's hands. Nii-san adopted his ideals and carried out his last wish. _

_ This time around, I will definitely save you, too, Shisui-nii. _

´´(O^Q)``

Shisui blinked. For a moment, he thought he had seen a determined glint in the baby's eyes, but that was probably just his imagination.

To his side, Itachi was leaning over his shoulder and looked like he was ready to burst with jealousy. Shisui chuckled to himself, it might have been a slight exaggeration, but to him, his younger cousin was like an open book. Sasuke was carefully transferred to Itachi's waiting lap.

To his surprise, the previously silent baby promptly gave a tooth-less smile and laughed. Sasuke reached for Itachi, who instinctively offered his right index finger, just like back in the hospital.

The sound of a shutter made all three on the couch look towards the source. Mikoto had taken a picture of them. Followed by another just as the three had looked up. She was glad that she had placed the camera ready to hand on a nearby shelf this morning. She knew from experience with her first son how quick such sweet but fleeting moments could spring up on you, so she had prepared despite it only being her first day home.

´´(O^Q)``

* * *

Not two days later, loud and high-pitched screaming was heard from the Uchiha household. It was in the middle of the night, which was why the sound startled all occupants of the house so effectively. Parents and brother alike rushed to the room next door. Upon opening, Fugaku – the ever careful Shinobi – held wife and son back to do a quick check. Not finding any attackers or traps, he let down his arm. Mikoto instantly rushed to the cradle and picked up her crying son.

They did not know what had made Sasuke cry out, but finding nothing amiss, Fugaku relaxed and was ready to return to their room. He would let his wife calm the baby, because he didn't know what to do at all. In case his wife needed him, she would call him.

Minutes passed, but Sasuke remained inconsolable. His mother had told Itachi to go back to sleep and not worry, but that was impossible. So he returned to the nursery room and shyly tiptoed forward. Mikoto only sighed resignedly when she saw him. Itachi took that as a sign for him to come closer and he did.

Itachi didn't know why he thought it would make Sasuke calm down, but it thankfully did. When he gently took a tiny hand into his own and drew nonsensical patterns (which he hoped were soothing) on Sasuke's forehead with his other hand, his little brother really ceased his sobs.

Mikoto didn't want her elder son spending too much time awake when he should be sleeping, since he had to get up in the morning for the Academy. That was why she had planned to take over the "forehead massage". Sadly, as soon as Itachi completely lifted his hands from Sasuke, said baby started crying again along with protesting shrieks. No matter how well she mimicked her elder son's actions and softly spoke to Sasuke, he would not calm down again.

Itachi simply took over again without saying a word. Lo and behold, just as before, his baby brother stopped. Both came to the same conclusion: Sasuke could recognize Itachi and would only fall asleep again tonight with Itachi by his side.

Mikoto was too tired to question it. For the sake of not causing any more racket, she nudged Itachi towards his room. Both slowly walked there, careful to stay in contact. Then Mikoto ushered Itachi to his bed. There, she gingerly lay Sasuke next to his brother. Itachi had to momentarily stop his ministrations, but Sasuke fortunately didn't start again, possibly because Itachi was still holding his little brother's hand.

While Mikoto tucked both of them in she asked Itachi if this arrangement for the night was fine with him. She involuntarily halted for a second to marvel at the moment, because despite her elder son's young age, he had stated that he didn't need a bedtime routine such as having her tuck him in.

Admittedly, she had already known that Itachi would have agreed, even if he hadn't shown how much he evidently adored his younger brother. That was just how her first son was, ever the thoughtful and considerate child.

Mikoto advised Itachi on how to hold Sasuke as to prevent the baby from falling out of bed without her elder son having to sacrifice his sleep. It helped that Sasuke only wanted some physical contact and did not need the massage on top. She lovingly stroked through Itachi' hair and kissed him on the forehead before going back to her own room for some sleep.

These nightly awakenings happened again and again in the same fashion. The screams and cries would start suddenly and only Itachi would be able to calm Sasuke down. Mikoto was slightly worried, because in a discussion with her friends, they told her the nightly crying of their own children did not happen as often. Itachi had always been a quiet child, so Mikoto couldn't compare Sasuke to his brother.

Eventually, when it became clear this wouldn't stop anytime soon, they just decided to spare themselves the recurring relocation of Sasuke's sleeping place and put him on his brother's bed to sleep, forgoing the cradle. Itachi didn't mind. Especially since Sasuke was otherwise a healthy and normal baby, being well behaved any other time. Henceforth, everyone slept peacefully through the night, as long as Itachi was with Sasuke.

For now, Mikoto and Fugaku tolerated this arrangement, but they knew it couldn't last. Sasuke shouldn't become unhealthily dependent upon his brother. Particularly Fugaku was of the opinion that Itachi should have his own room. He would not raise his son to be weak or overly indulging, and his second son would not be an exception either.

´´(O^Q)``

_ Sasuke couldn't help it. _

_ Most of the days, he did not see much of his Nii-san, not to mention being able to interact with each other. Sasuke would sleep through the entire morning (and more). Nii-san had to attend Academy until late afternoon. Often than not, Nii-san also trained extra hours afterwards. Sasuke didn't share dinner with the rest of the family either, since he couldn't even eat anything solid yet. 'And then, Father would demand Nii-san to study even more', Sasuke thought scornfully. _

_ He might not have been conscious of it, but the familiarity of this (lively) past version of his home in the Uchiha compound and seeing his parents (and occasionally other Uchihas) alive – all this brought on the new nightmares that started to haunt him. _

_ In the following nights, he found out that Nii-san's presence held the nightmares at bay. The warm yet child-like hand of Nii-san made him feel safe. As if Nii-san could single-handedly crush his nightly terrors. _

_ Night time had become the time when he felt the safest, the most at peace. He was even more glad when their parents decided to just have him sleep in Nii-san's room from the beginning. He had gotten somewhat tired of waking up feeling terrified and screaming his throat sore, plagued with uncertainty if this dark place was not the darkness of Kabuto's cave, until someone finally reached him and proved his fears wrong. _

_ At night, nothing stood between the two of them, no duties to hold them apart, no other people preventing him from the chance to curl up in Nii-san's embrace. Soaking up all the relief in this comforting gesture. That this was truly not just a cruel dream. That Nii-san was here, by his side. That he would not wake up alone in that cave with Kabuto, finding out he had somehow survived. _

_ In this past – or more accurately, present time now –  _ this  _ was his safe haven. For the time being, he allowed himself to be immersed in this fickle peace and be the baby he physically was. _

_ Right now, he couldn't do anything. Even if he wanted, he could not. This was cold hard fact. _

´´(O^Q)``

* * *

Two month and eighteen days later.

It was late afternoon. Mikoto was out shopping for the day. And she had Sasuke with her for the first time. As it was, Sasuke had never seen a crowd such as the Konoha market place. Before, she would only take a stroll through the Uchiha compound or let Itachi hold Sasuke while he relaxed on the porch, overseeing their small garden. She had been unsure how Sasuke would react to a noisier environment, so that had been the only times where he was out in the fresh air. But now she saw that she worried unnecessarily. Sasuke took well to the change in scenery and looked here and there curiously. Maybe she should extent her strolls to the village from now on.

"Hey, Mikoto!" The call brought Mikoto out of her musings. She saw her red-haired friend approaching, dressed in a green dress and far advanced in her pregnancy.

"Hello, Kushina-chan", she greeted as soon as her friend was in front of her.

Namikaze née Uzumaki Kushina, Mikoto's best friend since their Academy days, let her gaze fall on the baby in the raven-haired woman's arms. With an exclamation of delight, both women engaged in a short conversation about their respective babies, imagining possible play dates of their children in the future.

Both missed the melancholic eyes of Sasuke, whose gaze was directed towards the large belly of the mother-to-be.

´´(O^Q)``

_ Seeing the Usuratonkachi's mother like that felt like a blow to his stomach. Why did it bring him so much pain? Was he truly unable to cut off his bond with Naruto? The thought made him angry, he wanted to scream out. 'Why him?!' _

_ But of course, Sasuke already knew the answer. He had admitted out loud that Naruto was his best friend. Back in the Valley of the End. And then, his conversation with the Sage of Six Paths made it even more clear. Siblings in anything but blood, indeed. _

_ Sasuke was living his second chance, he who didn't really deserve it. And at this very moment, he was being confronted with the knowledge that Naruto's fate would be the same. _

_ That is, if Sasuke didn't reach out to him. Did he want to? Was he even able to? It had been so long ago that he cared, other than for Nii-san, whether it was love or hate. _

_ He felt unsure. Would Naruto even want someone like him as a friend? Sasuke wasn't a person to openly show affection and the years after his "defection" from Konoha only broke him more. This Naruto wasn't the same Naruto who had matured, had chased after him, had hardened his resolve and determination. This Naruto would be a child, naive and lonely, starved for any affection and attention. Could he face this Naruto? Sasuke didn't know. And he didn't know if he wanted to find out. _

_ Was the only reason not that Naruto had seen Sasuke as a kindred spirit of sort? Had he not picked Sasuke out among all their peers, precisely because that Usuratonkachi had felt Sasuke would understand his suffering better than anyone else? It had been due to the loss "the last Uchiha" had experienced after the Uchiha Massacre, was it not? How would Naruto react to a Sasuke that still had his family? Would he be met with rejection and accusation of not being able to understand? _

_ Sasuke did not like what he felt. Vulnerability. He knew he would not be able to simply shake off a rejection from Usuratonkachi. No, not him. _

_ Sasuke was afraid of what it meant. As reluctant as he was, somewhere deep down he had acknowledged the fact that Naruto had been (still was) his second most important person. Not even his mother would take that place. After that fateful night, everything had changed. _

_ Then, when Nii-san showed him everything, his view had been forcefully wrenched one way or another again. How could he believe anything anymore, after all that? He would not ever be able to think the Uchiha Clan as his family anymore. _

_ Only these two people had provided him with a certain constancy in his first lifetime in spite of all their changes.  _ They _ were the only ones able to affect him, reach him or utterly destroy him. Itachi and Naruto. _

_... Unless he found the courage to make new bonds. But what reasons would he have to do that? None. That was, at least, to the present-day. _

* * *

** A/N: **

** Hey guys and gals. **

** Hope you aren't bored with this, since it's another chapter with almost nothing happening. **

** I wanted Sasuke to remain immobile until at least the Kyuubi attack, which is when he's about three months old. Having him up and about earlier than that would be plainly unrealistic, I think. **

** After the Kyuubi attack, I plan to skip to a time when Sasuke will finally have some mobility (crawling or walking). **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know when I'll be able to update again. Because starting next Monday, my Voluntary Year of Social Service is beginning. Very excited, since I'll be going overseas. Haven't even packed my suitcase yet. *sheepish*
> 
> When my schedule is clear, I will continue writing, so please be patient with me.


	4. Halloween Special

Sasuke stood before a very difficult decision. He just couldn‘t choose. What should he do?

 

He turned his gaze to the left, then let his eyes wander to the right… And proceeded to repeat the action several times again. On the outside, both items in front of him looked just the same: some innocent black cloth. But! He had to choose one and forsake the other, as much as he liked both in equal parts.

 

With a determined face, Sasuke closed his eyes, spun himself around on his spot, with a finger stretched out before him and…

 

´´(O^Q)``

* * *

There was a black bundle on the back of Itachi, but the six-year old didn‘t mind at all. In fact, he went the extra mile to walk as smoothly as possible as to not jostle his extra package while one hand held it in place. He himself carried – in his opinion at least – an unsightly pumpkin bag in his other hand. But he was a Shinobi and he would endure this “excursion”. It would be worth it, he was really looking forward to the end of this evening, when he finally would...

Itachi went to a specific door that he had picked out after a thorough inspection of the area. He was sure: this door will bring him a fortune! He will not fail, there was something important at stake.

The raven-haired boy stopped in front of the door. Then, he slowly and gently lowered the weight from his back. That’s when the bundle suddenly moved on its own. The action made the cloth part and a small, pale hand revealed itself. Faster then lightening, it grabbed onto a part of Itachi’s feathery trousers.

Now, the moment of truth had arrived: Itachi slowly lifted his right arm, his hand nearing ever so slowly the old sturdy door, and knocked softly. The sound of knuckles hitting wood reverberated three times. Just a second later, a single set of footsteps could be heard from behind the door, approaching in a steady pace.

With a near silent squeak, the wooden door opened. A woman in her fortieth stood there, eyeing Itachi distrustfully. With the perfect control the Uchiha heir was already known for despite his young age, Itachi subtly weaved a Genjutsu he had practised just for this evening.

´´(O^Q)``

Only ten minutes later, a perfectly calm and innocent-looking Itachi was strolling down the streets, heading away from his “prey”. An invisible bubble of contentment surrounded him. Anyone who was at least somewhat aware would be able to sense it. Fortunately, the dirty path he walked on was quite deserted, so no one was there to witness the light bounciness in Itachi’s steps – quite unusual for this particular six-year old boy.

Abandoned was the small pumpkin bag, in its stead Itachi was carrying a Shinobi sealing scroll filled with his most beloved treats. And of course, where Itachi was, little Sasuke wasn’t far away. In fact, the toddler was sitting on Itachi’s shoulder, holding onto his big brother’s head and still warmly snuggled in his winged costume.

Yes, Itachi was not ashamed at all to have used everything he had to acquire the maximum amount of sweets with a minimum amount of effort – whether it was time or the distance of the route for tonight – on Halloween’s Eve.

His “prey” – the widow living on the outer edge of the Uchiha Compound – was a retired Kunoichi. She may scare away the younger ones and get angry at the teens who made dares to approach her, but this way there would be all the more treats left for Itachi, if only he succeeded in getting into her good graces. His “spoils” made it quite obvious how the encounter went: a complete success.

´´(O^Q)``

* * *

The retired Kunoichi had been both parts impressed and smitten at the cuteness of the pair.

As if on cue, Sasuke had uncurled himself after she came into their view and peaked out from under the hood of his costume – a crow, the miniature copy to Itachi’s own raven bird costume – the toddler’s dark shiny eyes wide and curious. The Genjutsu, which slightly altered the Kunoichi’s perception of light and space, made Itachi’s Otouto look even smaller and the crow feathers looking fluffy and very soft to the touch. The final straw had been when Sasuke flapped his wings cutely at his Nii-san, a silent demand to be lifted up, to which the older boy complied.

She knew who they were, of course. Every Uchiha knew of the sons of Uchiha Fugaku – her clan head. She had also watched the young boy sweeping his eyes around until it settled on her house. She had a pretty good guess as to what the heir was up to, so the surprise factor fell out. In spite of all this, it did not reduce the effect they had on her. They were simply adorable!

Of course, the Kunoichi had seen through the Genjutsu as well. Itachi with his budding six years stood no chance against the widow who had many years of dangerous experience under her belt. Nonetheless, she had humoured them. She couldn‘t think of anything as remotely amusing as this happening to her, it certainly was a refreshing and light-hearted change from her usually dreary days.

Even if she had already scared some kids away earlier, it hadn’t been nearly as long as she wished it to be for her to feel entertained. It had been too easy, a cackle here and there was enough to chase away the idea of a so called courage test for the intruders. She snorted at the sight of these kids running for their lives – they didn’t last a mere 5 minutes on her property.

A small, but genuine, smile darted across her face. She quite liked this pair of brothers. There was something about them that made them very interesting indeed, _something_ hidden under the layers of innocence and youth. She could feel it with every fibre of her person, her instincts had never failed her in these matters.

Yumiko was getting old. Although she may not be old in civilian standards, but with her old injury and the standard life span of Shinobi in the equation to her actual age, she was considered old. Old and quite useless, no matter how skilled she had been in her younger years. In the present she was an invalid, with no family to inherit her will and knowledge. Seeing this pair of children had reawakened the long buried longing for children or grandchildren. Why should she deny herself, when she had nothing to lose anymore? Hence, she called out to them.

´´(O^Q)``

 

It had been child’s play to beckon the Uchiha heirs back to her house. The promise of more sweets and cake had the boy (thus also the toddler) eagerly running back to her. It might not been obvious to others, but she was very observant.

 

She prided herself in this one skill that had not been taken away from her and had not rusted with the years in this so called retirement. How else would she have survived the encounter that inflicted upon her the single one injury which caused her to be cast out from the Shinobi ranks? It had not been luck, it was thanks to her skill to observe and think on her feet.

 

At the end of the evening, when it was time for Itachi to depart from his personal heaven for his sweet tooth, the widow had the raven-haired boy exactly where she wanted him. Who had fallen to whom as prey now, Yumiko thought amusedly to herself. She knew he would visit again.

 

The thought filled her with anticipation and happiness. She truly couldn’t remember when she had felt so much joy. Too long, it seemed.

 

´´(O^Q)``

 

* * *

**A/N:**

_Hey guys and gals! This was supposed to be a short omake for Halloween, but the idea kinda ran away with me._

_Sooo... normally I don’t like OCs, but I do kinda like Yumiko._

_**Question for you: Would you want her to make more appearances in the story or should I leave her as a brief fragment of Itachi’s childhood, as in, this will be the only chapter with her?** _

__Yeah, so the poll didn't have that much voters, but the most voted that ravens suited Sasuke the best, that was actually the prompt-inspiration for the Halloween omake: which costume should he choose (cat or raven) – let's just forget for a moment that he is actually a time-travelling adolescence and let this Sasuke have a moment of childish indulgence. I certainly would have lots of fun if I could help out my big (kid) brother with a major sweet tooth. Isn't it adorable?_ _

_P.S. This chapter is not beta’d (my beta-reader is currently enjoying vacation, didn’t want to barge into it), so yeah… Whatever._


	5. Chapter 5

Sasuke wished he could already do something – anything – to assure himself that no harm would come to Itachi. Only Itachi’s memories of the past assured him that his big brother made it out of the Kyuubi attack unscathed. Still, it was a completely different experience with the mind of an adult and the body of a helpless infant. Sasuke could only watch Itachi run and hope it would turn out the same.

 

Although Itachi's memories were going to help him predict certain events, the memory-watching itself was a future event Sasuke swore to prevent from ever happening in this life. Because he would rather have a living Itachi telling him instead of Nii-san using the Sharingan to show him what Nii-san's thoughts and feelings were.

 

´´(O^Q)``

 

* * *

 

 

When the five year old woke up, the first thing he did was breathing a sigh of relief. Itachi didn’t need a moment after waking up to remember what had happened before going to sleep. At his young age, he had already learnt that every second could be crucial for survival. Waking up not remembering the most recent events was a vulnerability, especially on missions.

 

His family was alive. Somehow, the Yondaime Hokage defeated the Kyuubi. It was a miraculous victory, but it was paid for with a heavy price: their Hokage’s life. Itachi didn’t know what would happen now, but he had an inkling that the Sandaime would take over the reins for now. Konoha had been weakened drastically, there was no time to elect a new Hokage.

 

Their first priority was the rebuilding of the village as well as the burial for all the brave souls who had fought and died that night. The death of the Yondaime Hokage saddened him greatly. Even though Itachi had only seen the Hokage from afar, he knew that Yondaime had been an excellent Shinobi with a heart of gold for his loved ones.

 

Itachi was eternally grateful that his family was still here. But he had unanswered questions. How could such a colossal beast suddenly appear seemingly from thin air? One moment, it had been like any other evening. The next, the air itself changed to something so potent and pressuring, as if it had decided to turn against the living who depended on it so dearly. He had never felt such a strong killing intent permeating through the whole of Konoha and possibly even beyond.

 

However, it had been important to remain calm and reach a safe place. Carrying his three months old Otouto had narrowed down his agility, but he would never in a thousand years think of abandoning his little brother – he would rather die himself than let anything hurt Sasuke.

 

´´(O^Q)``

 

Sasuke regretted ever thinking it was best if things turned out the same during the Kyuubi attack. Because _now_ , this annoying fan girl would try to steal his Nii-san’s attention away from him. Sasuke forgot all about _her_. This girl that his Nii-san rescued in the attack. Now she had a crush – of all things – on his big brother. Oh, how he wished to kick her in the arm and tell her to leave his Nii-san alone!

 

´´(O^Q)``

 

Izumi knew Itachi wasn’t interested. But that didn’t deter her in the slightest, because it made him all the more interesting. Ever since the Kyuubi attack, she got curious about Uchiha Itachi, the elder son of her clan head. Before, she had thought Itachi cold and distant, because he didn’t show his emotions and he never talked to others aside from his closest family. But now, she saw that he didn’t mean to ignore them – the ‘ordinary’ people. No, if Itachi was truly unfeeling, he would not have rescued her – a stranger, no matter if she was an Uchiha or not.

 

She was unimportant, not even a full-fledged Uchiha, because somewhere in her lineage, there was a non-blooded Uchiha from whom she had inherited her brown hair. She has often been teased about this by her fellow clansmen, but now she was over this. She had decided to enter the Academy and show them that she was just as important as them, being a future Kunoichi.

 

That fateful night would forever be burned into her memory. Not only had she lost her only true family (the other Uchiha were too distant to care about her), but everything had been horrible. The sight of that monster towering over Konoha’s walls, which had looked so pitifully small next to that gruesome _thing_. The sounds of screams and running footsteps echoing each other until no one knew which belonged to who. The pure fear of being crushed by a building collapsing. The despair of not knowing whether her parents were alright. And then, being left alone in that chaos and witnessing as more and more people died fighting or protecting each other.

 

She understood them. In such a situation, she, too, would rather focus on her closest people than on strangers. She did not resent the others, but it did not make her fear any less intense. It had been hard to think, all the Kunoichi training until then vanished from her mind, leaving her no better than a panicked civilian girl without her parents.

 

So she was certainly shocked when someone helped her out, from someone her age no less. It had felt surreal. It was her saving grace. That single good deed became her light in the following aftermath. She wasn’t sure what exactly had happened. A lot had been a single blur of grief. The images she kept seeing in her mind’s eye repeated themselves again and again.

 

 _Trauma_ , they said. _Sharingan._

 

Her curse and her blessing. Because of these eyes, she would remember. Because of these eyes, she would survive. A distant aunt took her in and now she lived with this woman she did not know.

 

Standing before Itachi, she wanted to coo at the sight: Itachi carrying his Otouto in his arms. Suddenly, everything about this boy before her was simply perfect – a soothing balm on her wounded soul, her escape from grief and the light in her life. Izumi ignored her friends telling her she had a crush. It wasn’t a simple crush. She knew better than to indulge in such a fickle emotion. This was more. How much though, she didn’t know.

 

The toddler was obviously very comfortable and happy. Being the outgoing person she was, Izumi enthusiastically asked Itachi if she could have the little boy for a moment.

 

Despite Itachi’s warning Izumi took the toddler ( _hey, it wasn’t an outright refusal and if_ _Itachi_ really _didn’t want his Otouto to be touched,_ _he_ _could have easily moved out of her reach in a blink of a_ _n eye_ ). But as soon as the little boy – that looked like a cute little girl to her – was in her arms, he struggled and began to shout, making his displeasure of his removal clear to her.

 

Stunned by this complete rejection – normally, she was really good with little children and she loved them very much – she froze on the spot, unaware of her comical expression.

 

´´(O^Q)``

 

Itachi simply took back Sasuke, who immediately changed from a distressed baby to a happily gurgling one. It brought a small smile on Itachi’s face. Without another glance, Itachi walked away from the girl still standing there like a statue.

 

Itachi had no interest in getting to know her better. He was genuinely happy to see that she had survived, but that was all. He didn’t understand why she had still stuck around after having said her thanks. He did warn her that Sasuke would become upset if his Otouto was taken away from him without warning, but she heedlessly didn’t listen to him.

 

´´(O^Q)``

 

* * *

 

 

“Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu!”

 

In the middle of a light sparring with Shisui, Itachi dodged the incoming attack before he abruptly stopped moving. Concerned that his little cousin could be injured, although Shisui did see Itachi dodge the fire jutsu just fine, he jumped down from his coverage in a treetop.

 

“What’s wrong, Itachi-chan?”, Shisui asked in a light tone. The teasing nickname would usually earn him a flat stare from the younger, but this time, Itachi only stared into space.

 

After the initial spike of concern, Shisui was pretty sure it was just Itachi doing what he always did: thinking. It was a bad habit to have, staring at one spot for as long as one thought deeply about something. On the other hand, it wasn’t like his cousin would do it just anywhere. It was a sign of trust from Itachi if he could let his guard down. Although this was the first time it happened during training rather than in a conversation.

 

Finally, his little cousin stirred and a frown marred the previously blank face. Itachi made his thoughts known, “Katon Jutsus like the ‘Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu’ are just like real fire. They _are_ fire. I have seen Otou-sama use a small Katon Jutsu to ignite our camp fire on a family trip, and Okaa-san lighting candles or boiling water – their effect don’t vanish afterwards. But in our sparring, how come we do less damage to our surroundings than real fire? I think we use less of our physical chakra in battle than outside. Why would we do that?”

 

“Well”, Shisui pondered, while making himself comfortable on the ground before continuing. “For one, it’s easier if we don’t have to force ourselves to use more physical chakra, because every Shinobi has a natural balance for the amount of spiritual chakra and physical chakra needed to perform a successful jutsu. Focusing on molding chakra is rather distracting us from an enemy, don’t you think?”

 

Shisui paused in his explanation and looked up to the sky. “Anyway, it’s a good question you have. Good observation skills. It’s true that we do less damage on our surroundings in battle”, Shisui praised his little cousin who also had sat down to listen.

 

“But we do the maximal damage to our enemies nonetheless. My theory? It’s because no matter what, we can’t perform jutsus with _purely_ our physical chakra and no matter how real the effect may be – you can’t ignore the fact that elemental jutsus are still chakra. And that’s the point, isn’t it? Because it remains chakra, it also reacts with chakra. The most concentrated chakra is found in us rather than our surroundings.” Shisui stole a glance at Itachi and hid a smile. Of course Itachi would catch on almost immediately where this was going, the older boy thought fondly.

"You know Iryo-nins?" Shisui asked. "They make use of this without quite realizing it. They study the complex works of their techniques, the beginners practice on living things such as fish before moving on to other people. But do they realize all that is possibly because chakra reacts to chakra the strongest? You can't mend a broken stone. You can only change it and destroy it with your physical chakra. In the end, ordinary stones don't have chakra, they are completely physical."

Silence enveloped the clearing. A companionable and peaceful feeling settled on both black heads. It was always the easiest for Itachi to relax around his older cousin, he mused. Out loud, the younger one commented, "Everyone tells me I am a genius, but I have never heard them giving the title to you, too." A surprised and happy laugh came from Shisui. Although not the reaction Itachi expected, he was glad to see Shisui laugh so openly and genuinely. A stark contrast to the serious Shisui, the famous Shinobi in Anbu.

With a sweeping motion as if to chase away the implication of Itachi's comment, Shisui replied cheerfully. "No, no, no. I am no genius, I just have my moments more often than other people. Besides, it's universally acknowledged that all natural geniuses are the silent and broody type. I definitely have no such side hidden in some corner of myself."

Itachi remained unconvinced, but he also knew that Shisui wasn't serious in refuting his implied statement. In his eyes, the older boy was much more of a genius than himself. Other people were merely blinded by how carefree Shisui acted most of the time. It was true that Konoha nourished a certain stereotype as to how a genius would be in their heads. How that came to be Itachi didn't know. People were weird and he did not understand them in the least.

 

´´(O^Q)``

 

A rustle made both boys snap to attention. More rustling followed before the familiar face of Sasuke broke through the bush. While Shisui relaxed and made a half amused half curious sound, Itachi used the Shunshin no jutsu to appear before his Otouto. The worried older brother quickly scanned Sasuke for any injuries and found none. Relieved, he picked his Otouto up and turned around, walking back into the middle of the clearing.

"Hey there, little adventurer! Impressive how you found us, but you really have to stop following Itachi-chan around just about everywhere." Shisui greeted Sasuke with a ruffle to the toddler's hair. Sasuke rewarded him with a bright grin and an irritated huff, easily making Shisui laugh just like Itachi had unintentionally done before.

The oldest in the clearing made a Kage Bunshin and sent it to ease Mikoto oba-chan's fear about Sasuke's whereabouts. No matter how much she paid attention, one single moment of distraction can be enough for Sasuke to vanish. Although everyone knew by know that the little tyke would end up at Itachi's location, Mikoto oba-chan still worried. Shisui was simply glad that Sasuke hadn't hurt himself on his quest to find Itachi-chan. He really ought to spy on the little tyke one day and find out how Sasuke always found a way to Itachi.

´´(O^Q)``

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N:  
> Hey guys and gals!  
> So I finally came to update.  
> Sorry if I disappointed some, but I really found it hard to write the Kyuubi attack, especially in either Uchiha brothers’ POV. So I just wrote in Uchiha Izumi’s POV – I found her interesting since she is also in Canon. But I won’t write too much about her – so no romance.  
> Aaaaanyway, I thought I write a bit about Shisui. Because – seriously – he is a genius, but he also has some of Obito’s and Naruto’s personality and isn’t that great? I really love the character Shisui (of course Itachi too) :D  
> I think in the next chapter, I will write about one of Sasuke’s little adventure. It’s high time I focus on him again ;)  
> BTW, sorry for change in style, but I’m still trying out how to do the different POVs.


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